Kim’s sister, Bobbi, was married over the weekend to Doug Utecht. The ceremony was at Our Lady of the Visitation, where many of the Hais kids went to school, and the reception was at the Aston Oaks Banquet Center, below the golf course clubhouse. Kim served as the matron of honor and Trey was the ring bearer. We were all so happy to be a part of their wonderful day.

Golf Carting

Kim and Bobbi

Bobbi and Doug

We stopped into Gilpin’s Steamed Sandwiches a couple of Sunday’s ago for lunch. We arrived just before noon and were immediately greeted by the solo employee behind the counter. He asked if it was our first time and then gave us a quick guide through the lengthy menu. In addition they have a list of customer creations on the wall as well as a  humorous  “drunk menu” with giant lettering, which must come in handy since they don’t close until 3 A.M. most nights.

Drunk Menu

After placing our sandwich order and grabbing some drinks, we headed upstairs to the dining area. There are a couple of small tables downstairs, but upstairs is where the majority of the seating is. Plus upstairs they have an old school Nintendo hooked up to a TV and I think I saw a Playstation hooked up to another. We didn’t play any video games, but our two-year-old son was entertained by a toy slot machine that was on our table.

Inside

Once our sandwich orders were placed into the  steamers  we could really smell the ingredients from the upstairs loft like space. A few minutes later the sandwiches were delivered to our table steaming hot, literally. The come wrapped in foil and we had to wait a few minutes for them to cool before digging in.

#5 Doritos

I ordered one of the five items on the drunk menu, the #5 (aka Doritos). This sandwich combined turkey, cheddar, lettuce, peppercorn ranch, honey mustard, and Doritos on a pretzel bun ($6). Upon my first bite I was immediately reminded of the sandwiches I devoured years ago at Bagel & Deli in Oxford, who also steams sandwiches for large late night crowds. Steaming the sandwich leaves a very distinct mark on the sandwich with the way all the flavors combine together along with a slightly moist and soft bread. It was a little messy to eat but delicious.

#1 Winner

My wife went with the #1 Winner with turkey, veggie cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, banana peppers, spinach leaves, and tomato on a pretzel bun ($6). I had a couple bites from her sandwich and again loved the flavor combinations. I didn’t think it was a great as the #5 that I ordered, but still worthy of ordering again.

Gilpin’s is perfect any time of day but they seem to specialize in satisfying the late night crowd. With that said they are open early every day and even serve a few breakfast sandwiches on croissants. I doubt I’ll ever see the late night crowds but I will definitely be back for lunch in the future.

I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus  Newport many times in the past but have only eaten there a couple of times. Most of my past visits have been after dinner to enjoy the beer garden. Who doesn’t love slinging back liters of beer while listening to live polka and dancing on top of the table’s benches? Well those days don’t happen as much as they used to, which leads me to this past weekends lunch time visit to the Hofbräuhaus.

The Hofbräuhaus  Newport was the  first authentic Hofbräuhaus  in America, modeled after the legendary 400+ year-old Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany. There is an onsite brewery with  a Brew Master from Germany that produces four varieties of beer for the restaurant, plus seasonal specials.  Even though I didn’t order a liter of beer I still had a couple 1/2 liters over lunch, which is still a pretty good amount of beer once we had finished our meals.

1/2 Liter Of Beer

On this visit my wife, son, and I were joined by various members of her family along with a few of their friends. It was a large group and I was happy to see that we were seated in the side room and not in the often smoke-filled bier hall. Plus there wasn’t any live music at the time of our visit, so it’s not like we were missing anything. Though the music did start about halfway through our meal, and we enjoyed it over another round of beers.

House Salad

My wife started with a house salad ($4.99 or $2.49 when added to an entrée). This salad was enough for the two of us to share and was filled with a variety of fresh vegetables. They didn’t have many dressings to offer, at least not that the waitress was aware of, but nonetheless it was a good start to our meal.

Bauern Sandwich

I ordered the Bauern sandwich with fries ($7.99). This sandwich features  a mound of ham and  Swiss  cheese served on a sesame seed pretzel bun, and topped with their signature homemade bier cheese. It was really great sandwich and quite filling. The bier cheese is the standout item, though the pretzel bun was really good too.

Wurst On A Bun

My wife had the grilled mettwurst on a bun with  sauerkraut and fries ($6.99). She was expecting a larger sausage  and it also lacked the heat of a hot smoked mettwurst that we all love so much. With that said she didn’t seem to hate it, but I don’t think she would order it again.

The Hofbräuhaus  Newport isn’t just for beer filled evening  entertainment. They also serve a mix of authentic German dishes and American staples that is suitable for lunch or dinner.

Despite the frigid temperatures over the weekend, the Kentucky-Ohio Polar Plunge went on as scheduled. This event benefits  the Special Olympics programs in both Kentucky and Ohio. Since the event became a joint fundraiser in 2005, the Plunge has raised more than $670,000 for programs on both sides of the Ohio River. This year they raised over $140,000!

As they’ve done many years in the past, a couple of Kim’s brothers participated in the plunge. This year they were part of the Frosted Fruit Loops team for Hamilton County Special Olympics. We went down to Joe’s Crab Shack to watch them jump into the pool of water that was actually frozen earlier in the morning. Brrrr.

Plunge Site

Keep It Classy

Another “Classy” Group

Ready To Jump

Frosted Fruit Loops

More Fruit Loops

Friday night I was tasked with finding some carry-out food for dinner for my family. I first headed towards Green Papaya, but couldn’t find a parking spot, so I turned up Drakewood and wound up in Oakley. There I found Yat Ka Mein, the relatively new Chinese restaurant that opened in the  abandoned  Arby’s on the southern tip of Oakley Square. There was plenty of parking in their lot behind the restaurant.

Inside

The inside of the restaurant is brand new and quite colorful. It was probably half full at the time of my visit just past 7 P.M. I walked to the carry-out window, found a menu, and took a seat at a nearby bench. The menu is really lengthy for a Chinese restaurant, at least compared to ones I’ve visited in the past. While looking it over I couldn’t help but notice the number of phone calls coming into the restaurant for carry-out and delivery orders. If you call ahead you can pickup your order through the restaurants old drive-through window.

Inside Again

I decided to go with two traditional dishes, sweet and sour chicken ($8.75) and kung pao chicken ($9.25). I ordered both dishes with brown rice, which is $1.50 up charge per dish. I also ordered two chicken egg rolls ($2 each). My order was ready for me within ten minutes of placing it, a nice surprise.

My Plate

The sweet and sour chicken had the sauce on the side, which was appreciated. The chicken itself was all white meat and fried perfectly. The vegetable mix of peppers, onions, and carrots was basically raw though. I didn’t mind the raw pineapple, but would have preferred the veggies to be cooked a little more. Plus the brown rice was way overcooked and was more like oatmeal than rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

The kung pao chicken was better, however it was not spicy at all. I ordered it from the hot and spicy menu but I didn’t get any heat in what was served. The vegetables were cooked well this time and featured a mix of peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. The chicken was good too, but without any spice the dish really fell flat.

Kung Pao Chicken

It’s a sad meal when the best part is the chicken egg roll appetizer. And even that seemed to be of the frozen box variety that was  heated  upon ordering. My wife didn’t think it was as bad as I did, but still said it was average at best. Yat Ka Mein advertises themselves as a noodle house, so perhaps we just ordered the wrong dishes. Maybe we will give them another shot and focus on that side of the menu.

Wednesday evening I was invited to a preview “media dinner” for Seasons 52, which will officially open on Monday in the Rookwood  Exchange. This is their first restaurant in Ohio, with nearly 30 other locations spread across 13 states and at least 8 more in the works. Seasons 52 debuted in 2003 and specializes in a fresh dining experience with  all dishes under 475 calories. Their menu changes  seasonally  four times a year and has weekly specials inspired by  the fresh appeal of the farmers’ market.

Outside

This will be the first business opening it’s doors in the Rookwood  Exchange, so the surrounding area is very much a work in progress. However there is  ample parking and the option for valet. I arrived just before the 6:30 start time and upon entering the doors was greeted by some of the staff and given a complimentary glass of champagne. From there I was lead on a tour through the restaurant, starting with a small chefs table, then through the kitchen, a few private dining rooms, and finally to the bar area.

Private Dining

We waited in the bar area for all the  guests to arrive and were treated  to additional  champagne and music from a live piano bar, which will continue to be  featured nightly.  Seasons 52’s Master Sommelier  George Miliotes  was also available in the bar to tell us more about the restaurant’s history. Once all the  guests had arrived we were offered  a sampling from their flatbread menu. I tried  the artichoke and goat cheese with leaf spinach, balsamic onions, and roasted peppers. This was a wonderful combination of flavors which I really enjoyed.

Artichoke & Goat Cheese Flatbread

From there we moved into the main dining room to start our six course  meal, each course paired with at least one wine. Each course was introduced by Executive Chef Clifford Pleau. I’m not going to cover all the courses, just my personal highlights.

Main Dining Room

For the third course we were given a salad of organic field greens, grilled mushrooms, toasted pistachios, and truffle dressing. I was happy to hear that all salad greens are organic and that they try to use local ingredients when possible. This salad was simple but very fresh and smelled wonderful. The mushrooms and pistachios added a nice flavor as well as a little crunch. I did think it was a little under dressed, but perhaps that is one way to keep the calorie count low.

Organic Field Greens Salad

The next course was my personal favorite of the night. It was a Sonoma goat cheese ravioli with roasted garlic, basil, and organic tomato broth. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted goat cheese as good as what was inside these ravioli. Plus the sauce was  delicious  and the addition of  fresh basil really brought it all together. I see that this is normally served as an appetizer, however I wish it were served  as an entrée, perhaps with an added  protein.

Goat Cheese Ravioli

For the next course I had Springer Mountain Farm all-natural grilled chicken served over a sweet potato mash with roasted Brussels sprouts. The chicken was cooked  on their hickory burning grill giving it a very nice flavor. Again you could smell these dishes coming out from the kitchen. The sweet potato mash and Brussels sprouts were both nice accompaniment for the meat.

Grilled Chicken

Finally we were given a choice from their mini indulgences desert selections. These mini deserts are meant  to be  between six and eight bites each and come served in what appears to be  a tall shot glass. I went with the highly recommended pecan pie with vanilla mousse. It is a little awkward getting the spoon down into the depths of the glass, but this desert really was outstanding!

Mini Indulgences Stock Photo

I was very impressed the food and service from Seasons 52. However I do  realize that this dining experience wasn’t a typical one. With that said all the food I tasted definitely has me convinced to return again in the near future to try even more.

Before leaving Columbus and returning home to Cincinnati this past weekend, we made one last stop for breakfast at a little place called Tommy’s Diner. From the outside I wasn’t expecting much from Tommy’s. After parking the car beneath the large sign out front, we weren’t sure which direction the restaurant actually was. Fortunately a line of people were leaving the restaurant as we had arrived, so we just followed the crowd into this rather plain-looking building.

Outside

Once inside, however, it was clear that this truly was a diner. It isn’t a dingy diner though, as the booths and tables all seemed to have been updated at least sometime in the last ten years. There are neon lights everywhere and a checkered floor as you would expect from a diner. Autographed photos cover the walls from famous visitors of the past. There was a pretty large crowd in the rather small space, but enough open tables for us to find a seat immediately.

Inside

After being sat at a booth by who I would assume was Tommy, our server was at our side within minutes to take our drink order.

Coffee Mug

Breakfast is served all day, and most of our group went that route. Though when my twelve-year-old brother-in-law heard that lunch was also available he went straight for the old fashioned burger with American cheese ($4.75). He also ordered a side of fries ($1.95). At this point in our trip he was really into providing ratings to me for my reviews. He rated the burger an 8 out of 10, and the fries just a 5. It seemed that the fries weren’t salty enough for his tastes, so once we added a little more salt, he was good to go.

Old Fashioned Burger

My wife ordered a breakfast combo with an omelet and home fries. I didn’t have any of the omelet, but I had a big share of the home fries and these were a nice mix of crunchy and soft  potatoes. I couldn’t find a price online, but the omelets are in the $6 – $7 range and a side of home fries are $1.75.

Omelet & Home Fries

We ordered a short stack of hotcakes for our two-year-old son ($3.50). These were pretty typical pancakes, but with a huge mound of butter.

Short Stack Hotcakes

And now for the star of our meal, I ordered the stuffed French toast with fruit topping. This was a large stack of sourdough French toast with a cream cheese filling, topped with a mound of strawberries and a healthy amount of whipped cream. I was in heaven!

Stuffed French Toast

Our food varied from average to amazing. Our service couldn’t have been any nicer and the food was out to us in adequate time. Forget what the outside of Tommy’s Diner looks like, there is plenty of good stuff inside.

Another family fun activity we did while in Columbus over the weekend was to visit COSI, the Center of Science and Industry. We arrived just after their 10 A.M. opening to find that we weren’t the only ones with the idea of getting there early. Fortunately the ticket line for non-members wasn’t bad and we were on our way in minutes.

We were split into two groups for the majority of our visit. My wife took our two-year-old through the Little Kidspace, where he could have easily spent the entire day, while I took my twelve-year-old brother-in-law through the rest of the exhibits. He really seemed to enjoy the Progess exhibit, where we  traveled through time and interacted with technology from 1898 and 1962. He was especially amazed at how big the TV’s were. We also spent a good amount of time in the Life exhibit as well as the latest traveling exhibit, Mindbender Mansion & Amazing Mazes, where we had to solve puzzles and got lost in a giant maze.

We stayed through lunch at the Atomic Café, which was better than I expected it to be, before we all moved on to see the Ocean exhibit together. At this point our little one was getting crabby and was ready for his afternoon nap. We could have easily stayed until the 5 P.M. closing but I thought that we saw most of the exhibits during our roughly four-hour stay.

While in Columbus over the weekend I had one request and that was to have dinner at Barley’s Brewing Company. It never hurts to mix in a little beer with dinner on a family trip. Plus the restaurant appeared family friendly.

Outside

Fortunately one of my roommates from college, who now lives in the Columbus area, was able to join us for dinner. I asked him to meet us at 5pm for an early dinner and I’m glad I did. We actually didn’t arrive until after 5:15, but he was able to secure a table in the crowded restaurant for our group of 5. It seems there was a Columbus Blue Jackets game that night at the nearby Nationwide Arena and a good chunk of the crowd was obviously headed that way.

Inside

The inside of Barley’s is not very large, but they have managed to pack in a bunch of tables along the front and right sides, along with the back corridor.  There is also a large bar with plenty of beers on tap. I started with their Centennial IPA, which I thought was a pretty darn good beer. I also later sampled one of their Russian Imperial Stouts, which was also good. I didn’t enjoy the RIS as much as the IPA, but both are worthy of ordering again.

Jamaican Me Chicken

For dinner I went with the Jamaican Me Chicken sandwich which combines jerk seasoned grilled chicken breast with  Jamaican  relish and  pepper-jack  cheese ($9.99). The chicken was a double breast and was well cooked. I was hoping for a little more spice from the jerk seasoning, but overall the sandwich was good. For my side dish I chose their cheddar and potato  pierogies. I think this was my first experience with pierogies. Unfortunately it might be my last experience with them though, as these didn’t really do much for me. Overall they were fairly bland and uninteresting.

The Wedge

My old friend had The Wedge salad – crisp iceberg lettuce wedge with diced tomatoes, smokey bacon bits, balsamic marinated cherry tomatoes, red onion and crumbled gorgonzola bleu, then drenched with our bleu cheese dressing and a drizzle of balsamic reduction ($6.29). This salad looked really good and from what I’m told it tasted great too. I’m  intrigued  by the balsamic reduction that is added to the other somewhat typical wedge salad toppings.

Turkey Nut

My wife had the Turkey Nut burger –  ground turkey seasoned with parmesan and herbs, topped with pecans, and served with spicy mayo –  Barley’s classic for nearly two decades ($9.79). She chose to have a side salad for $1.29 extra, but it was a pretty large and fresh salad. I didn’t try any of the burger, but again I’m told that it was a good sandwich. We also had orders of kid’s cheeseburger and grilled cheese (both $4.99).

Our service was actually much quicker than I was expecting from the crowded restaurant and bar. Overall the food was good and I enjoyed the two beers that I sampled. I would easily go back for more when in the area.

My family and I hadn’t traveled together for an overnight stay since our trip to San Francisco in September and we needed a quick getaway. So we made plans to spend a full day this past weekend in Columbus with an overnight stay at the Westin downtown (booked on Priceline.com). Among the stops on our trip was the Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark. Sure they have a onsite hotel that we could have stayed in, but after reading some nasty reviews of their  accommodations, we decided to stay elsewhere. Besides, even after paying the $21.95 per person for waterpark entry after 4pm and just under $80 for the Westin, we were still saving money compared to the cheapest package I could find on the Fort Rapids website.

Due to our busy day, we didn’t actually get to Fort Rapids until around 7pm and with a 9pm closing time we didn’t have a ton of time. However, I felt that our two hours there was enough for our group. My wife took our two-year-old to the kiddie korral children’s activity area and the rascal roundup 40-foot interactive play structure. I took my twelve-year-old brother-in-law through the cowboy creek lazy river and onto all four of their water slides two times each. It seemed that most of the crowd really thinned out during the duration of our visit.

This was my first visit to one of these large scale indoor waterparks, so I don’t have much to compare it to in that regard. The water was definitely highly chlorinated and therefore seemed extremely clean. We did encounter one of the water slides in the rascal roundup was closed, but other than that all the attractions seemed to be well maintained. The air temperature is warm and the water is a nice cool temperature. We had a good time and wouldn’t hesitate to go back again when in the area on a cold winter day.